Egyptian Copts: Stop holing the ship [Archives:2006/943/Opinion]

By: Atif Awad
Egypt used to have different names long time ago, even before the birth of Christ or Prophet Mohamed. This is also the case of its people, the Egyptians. Examples of such names are: the Valley, Kinanah, land of food, land of the Nile and land of Amon. Different nations have used the above names to refer to Egypt.

Another name Egypt used to be known with was the land of “Copts”. The people of Egypt were known as the “Copts” and every Egyptian used to be called by the name “Copt”. This name was used by old explorers when they talked about Egypt or when describing the people who were living on the banks of the Nile. This is also the name used by the most ancient historian “Herodotus” when he visited Egypt between 449 and 430 BC, when the hieroglyphic script was still read and pharaonic religion was still practiced. Yet, nowadays it is common to think that the Christian Egyptians are the only “Copts”. This is indeed a wrong assumption and a historical fallacy, as all the people of Egypt are Copts; whether they are Muslims, Christians or others.

This fact is supported by the term (Egypt) which is the encyclopedic definition for the Nile valley. The English name “Egypt” came via the Latin word Aegyptus derived from the ancient Greek word Aiguptos, all referring at the land of the Copts. Thus, this name includes all the Egyptian people and not limited to a particular religion or sect.

For all this, the Egyptians in their different religions, beliefs or ethnic backgrounds are all the Copts. This explains the Egyptian wisdom, which says, “Religion is for God and the country is for all”. It was the wisdom of tolerance and coexistence in one social structure, which formed the Egyptian people. The people who are of varied peculiarity that adds to the splendor and magnificence of the land and its people. They lived together in affection and peace, which deepened the love of land among the Egyptians and those who came from the areas around it. They were fused in the Egyptian structure with love and tolerance.

However, for many reasons, many of the prejudiced and malignant targeted this structure. Many fanatic Egyptians and others wanted to break up this unique model. They sought with cunningness to do this by playing the religious hand, by assuming that the Christian Copts are apostates and they should embrace Islam, or other wise they will be slain. Yet the Christians did the same with the Muslims. With the pretexts of consolidating the Prophet Mohamed or Jesus Christ, the fanatics are spreading a misfortune which will harm Egypt. The Egyptian ship will sink and drown all on board if both parties insisted on ruining their sides in our beloved ship “Egypt”. The prophet Mohamed and Christ indeed are irreproachable of the acts of these criminals.

Atif Awad is an Egyptian journalist and short story writer residing in Yemen.
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